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The distance from the Mid East to the Midwest spans seven time zones, yet the latest issue from Burger Boat bridges not just miles, but cultures.
by Marilyn M. Mower
photography by Matthieu Carlin
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12/01/2006
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| Burger 144 |  |
Forward of the dining salon is the yacht’s center of
circulation. Here, a glass elevator one meter in diameter has pride of place in
a spectacular three-level foyer. A semicircular bronze and glass staircase
sensuously embraces the pneumatic-powered elevator column at each level.
Completing this dramatic element are breathtaking floors of rare, royal red
onyx, totaling nearly 1,076 square feet in all. With the vessel’s ample beam,
there is no sense of crowding these elements. Richey took his clients at their
word, mixing the tradition of fluted wood columns with edge-lit, triple-layer,
tempered crackle-glass steps floating in a framework of antique bronze. "It’s
like a chandelier you walk through," noted Richey.
Top: The skylounge’s distinctive recessed ceiling in silver and bronze
leaf. Bottom: The wheelhouse with its integrated glass bridge
electronics. Top photograph by Dana Jinkins. (Click images to enlarge)
Les Metalliers Champenois, a highly specialized atelier with
studios in Paterson, New Jersey, and Reims, France, crafted the staircase. Among
the firm’s commissions are the restoration of the Statue of Liberty’s torch and
the roof of New York City Hall, as well as decorative elements on the Cartier
façade and The Hermitage Hote.
Traditionally, U.S. shipyards have suffered a bit in
competition with their European cousins when it comes to stonework—lacking
several hundred years of practice at the art of marble sculpture. Burger’s
approach was pragmatic.
"We digitized every floor," said Donovan. "The laser device
establishes points every two » inches along the
perimeter and turns this information into AutoCAD files for an exact
representation of the floor or any other structures to be covered in stone.
Bigelli Marmi of Senigallia, Italy, printed out the files in full-size
templates. The owner’s representative stationed in Italy checked the work at
each critical juncture." Only two small pieces needed refinement when Bigelli’s
artisans arrived at the yard for installation.
Mirgab V offers up two alfresco dining areas. Bottom photograph by Dana Jinkins. (Click images to enlarge)
For improved service, a hidden athwartships corridor between
the foyer and the master suite—here the superstructure grows to full beam—links
the owner’s areas with crew passages and a staff cabin on the main deck.
From a small office area, the master suite blossoms into an elegant retreat
wrapped in raised and fielded panels, arched doorways and chandeliers made of
pen shells. The starboard-side seating area opens on a beautiful bath with spa
tub and a walk-in cappuccino-onyx steam shower.
The bridge deck above incorporates the wheelhouse and captain’s
domain and skylounge cinema, but—courtesy of the ample beam and length of the
structure—also allows an elegant VIP cabin. Silk wall and ceiling panels and
leather countertops help control weight here without sacrificing any of the
elegance of the five lower guest suites. The cinema sports both an oversized
plasma TV and a 100-inch drop-down screen and projection unit. Crestron controls
simplify the audiovisual choices and intuitively position window coverings for
optimal room illumination. Aft of the skylounge is one of two alfresco dining
spaces. The other, on the private sun deck above, is shaded by a massive
composite hardtop with a hydraulically sliding awning.
Not all of Mirgab’s special features are reserved for
the 8,000 square feet of living space, however. The transom hides swim stairs
for safer, easier and more elegant access to the sea. Six steps, each about four
feet wide, mechanically deploy from their hiding place below deck level and fold
down into the sea. Removable handrails provide extra security.
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